Equality and diversity
The Skills Funding Agency delivers equality and diversity as part of a wider inclusion agenda, both in the services we provide and across. We are not just interested in the nine protected characteristics outlined in the Single Equality Bill, but we treat applicants and employees as individuals, irrespective of their background or characteristics. We aim to provide a working environment that nurtures an open, flexible and supportive approach to enable everyone to access the opportunities and resources they need to have a successful and fulfilling career within the Skills Funding Agency.
We understand that diversity is important to the success of our business enabling us to:
- Reflect the community we serve
- Better understand our clients and their needs
- Maximise a diverse and creative approach to our work through drawing on individual experience and perspectives
- Lead by example to promote best practice with partners and stakeholders
- Go beyond statutory duties to recruit, develop, reward and value diversity within the workforce.
To do this, we ensure that Equality and Diversity is integral to all our employment policies and practices, including recruitment and selection, and our managers and HR team work in partnership to ensure that flexible practices and necessary adjustments can be implemented effectively. As an organisation we regularly consider requests from employees and applicants to accommodate individual needs. Some common practices and provisions are part time hours, job-sharing, flexible working times and locations and specialist equipment to help with a disability. We provide additional support for staff through Access to Work, an external Employee Assistance Programme, counselling, an Occupational Health Service and a range of schemes and resources which can help staff manage their own needs within the Skills Funding Agency.
Key to this agenda is an environment promoting dignity and respect and we make a commitment to all our staff that we will provide the learning and development to address these needs. As an organisation, we believe in continuous improvement and would encourage any potential applicant to contact us to discuss your needs so that we can support you to apply for our vacancies.
